Celebrating National Cookie Day

Mark your calendars, because December 4th is National Cookie Day! And we are just as excited as you are about this day to honor one of the world’s most beloved treats. But where did cookies actually come from? After all, there are more than 100 different types of cookies out there in the world, so which one was the cookie that started it all?

Just like their taste, the history of the cookie is rich and exciting. Originating in Persia during the 7th century, cookies only became a reality when it was discovered that sugar could be added to different foods to enhance their flavor, as well as serve as a main ingredient to many dishes. The Persians created the first cookies by adding sugar to their pre-existing bread recipes, which were then baked in a clay oven over dry firewood.

As time went by and globalization started to sweep across the world, cookies made their way to Europe during the 14th century throughout the Spanish inquisition. They quickly became popular because of their convenient, small size, which made them perfect to pack while traveling.

What happened in Europe revolutionized the baking industry at the time. Not only were cookies eaten by the upper echelon of European society including the king and everyone in the royal family, but they were available for everyone to eat, like peasants and farmers. No matter how much money you had, anyone could afford a cookie.

It was said that the most popular cookie during these years was the Jumble cookie. Consisting of water, nuts, and sweetener, the Jumble cookie was relatively harder than the cookies that we enjoy today.

Eventually, cookies made their way to America in the 17th century via the Dutch in New Amsterdam. Even after their arrival, many cookies still resembled the Jumble cookie, and stayed that way, with a few variations, for the next few hundred years.

But when someone thinks about cookies, we can guess that the first thing that pops into their minds are chocolate chip cookies. It’s hard to believe that they have only been around for 80 or so years. No matter what history books or articles you read, the invention of the chocolate chip cookie is always credited to Ruth Graves Wakefield who worked for the Toll House Inn during the 1930s. In fact, chocolate chip cookies became such a widespread success that they were named the official “state cookie” of Massachusetts in 1997.

Here at European Bakery, we craft each cookie we make carefully, and each batch is made using an old family recipe that has been passed down over the years.